


Into the Dark

by no1knowsiwritefanfics



Category: Adventure Time
Genre: F/M, I don't like writing Cake, I like writing Prince Gumball, Pretty much every character makes an appearance at some point or the other, fiolee, hannah abadeer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-06
Updated: 2013-04-06
Packaged: 2017-12-07 15:32:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/750115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/no1knowsiwritefanfics/pseuds/no1knowsiwritefanfics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Marshall Lee's title as Vampire King is threatened, Fionna finds herself thrown into a world of intricate plots and vampire politics. Fionna knows nothing about vampires except that they're rarely good. But Marshall Lee is… right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Balance

**Author's Note:**

> Adventure Time belongs to the fantastic Pendleton Ward and Cartoon Network.

BALANCE

Somewhere in the Land of Aaa, there exists a Dark Forest. Should you ever find yourself lost in those deep woods, there is a good chance you'd never find your way out. Now, it was never easy getting to that area in the first place, and the Keep Out and Danger signs should be enough to steer away any sane person. Even before that, you'd have to pass the Candy Kingdom (which would be a much nicer place to stay, don't you think?), the Grasslands (where you'd find a very radical treehouse, thankyouverymuch), and the Hole in the Center of the World (which wasn't REALLY bottomless, according to rumor). If none of those locations caught your attention, you'd discover yourself in the eeriest forest outside of the Nightosphere.

Currently, there was a young human girl lost in the Dark Forest, shoving her way through the thick branches, crushing dead leaves beneath her black shoes, and grumbling because she was covered, head to toe, in troll goo.

How long had she been out there anyway? It had been afternoon when she had chased the massive troll into these woods, hesitating only briefly before rushing in, sword blazing. The troll had stolen a treasured document from the Hot Dog Prince, and it was her duty as professional adventurer to retrieve it. Which she did, but not before the troll exploded into a gooey mess deep within the Dark Forest.

She paused and held her arms out to her side. The motion made a sickening sticky squish, and she was reminded of the time she spilled waffle syrup on her shirt. With a sigh, she looked upwards. It was late and dark out. What little light existed from the waxing crescent moon was shaded by the thick overhanging of dead branches, casting the area into darkness. A time or two as she traveled, she swore she caught red glowing eyes peering at her behind trees or in the bushes. The feeling was shrugged off. Whatever, she was an adventurer. Bring it on, creepers, and she'd just hack you to pieces.

Rubbing her hands on the clean parts of her skirt, she reached inside her backpack and retrieved the treasured document of the Hot Dog Kingdom. Scanning over the elaborate, gold-printed paper, she realized it was the official guest list of the Annual Hot Dog Ball, along with the addresses of each resident invited. She risked her life for this?

If she had been someone else, someone on high alert because of her surroundings, she may have spotted the two eyes watching her every move carefully in the darkness. Then again, the eyes belonged to a master predator, and even if a lost little human had been listening for any motions in the forest, it would be unlikely the creature would be detected.

While the girl scanned over the guest list on the paper, seeing if anyone she knew was invited, a dark shape moved silently toward her, its face contorted into something straight out of a nightmare. The sudden drop in temperature made Fionna's gaze lift up just in time to see a large monstrosity of a creature, all sharp teeth and blood red eyes, rushing toward her.

She shrieked loudly, clutching the guest list against her sticky body with one hand and reaching for her sword with the other. Glob it, where was her sword?! Her hands were shaking, and she couldn't find it. She could ALWAYS find her sword.

The creature stopped right in front of her face, staring right into her terrified eyes like it was gloating in its success, and just when she knew the creature was going to open that razor-like maw and devour her whole, its face shifted, bones twisting in a manner that she had seen before. The red eyes dulled to an eerie black, the form crackling and snapping back into something more humanoid and familiar. Laughter erupted from the creature before it was completely finished transforming. "Your face, Fi!" the pale being stated between laughs.

"Marshall!" she shouted in indignation, and he barely had time to dodge the fist that headed his way.

She glared daggers into him, stomping one foot in frustration as he floated a few feet ahead of her, just out of her reach. His axe bass was carried on his back, the strap crinkling his red plaid shirt. "That wasn't funny," she stated.

"Lighten up, that was hilarious."

Frowning, Fionna pried the prized documents from her sticky body, horrified when she saw some of the names and addresses were smeared. Not wanting to damage the paper any further, she twisted it up and shoved it in her backpack.

Sensing it was safer to approach the last human in Aaa, Marshall took his bass and began playing a few melodic notes on it, drifting closer to the girl. "So what's a little hero like you doing in the Forest of Death?"

"Important mission from the Hot Dog Kingdom." She straightened the ears of her bunny hat and began her trek through the woods again.

Marshall kept up with her stride, floating beside her as his fingers traveled over the strings of his guitar. "There are lots of dangerous creatures in these woods."

Fionna hoisted the backpack higher on her shoulder and glanced over to him. "Friends of yours?" There was no hint of sarcasm in her voice; just simple curiosity.

"Nah, don't know 'em."

She wasn't sure she wanted to meet the creatures even if he did know them. Marshall Lee did not keep the best of company.

"It's not dangerous for an Adventurer like me." she commented. "I slay monsters on a regular basis."

He smirked, and she could tell he was resisting the urge to mock what he considered her goody-two-shoes heroic side.

"You were traveling in these woods alone," she pointed out.

He raised one shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. "I'm the Vampire King," was his answer.

It struck her as funny because she had never met another vampire in her life. She wondered where his kingdom was, if he really had any authority over the other vampires, or if it was just a title.

When it came to Marshall's pranks and morbid sense of humor, the citizens of Aaa were divided. Some of the people saw the vampire's arrival as a threat. He was an undead, a bloodsucker, and they were convinced that if given a chance, he would sneak into their houses at night and drain them of blood. Everyone else saw his spooky pranks for what they really were- Nothing more than harmless jokes, like a haunted house on Halloween. So used to the pastel colors of Aaa and the monotony, the Vampire King's taboo style and morbid rock music was a thrill that they craved, and he was a popular party guest in many of the kingdoms. Although these citizens liked him, they still kept him at a safe distance. Because try as they may, they still had trouble fully trusting him. It was one thing to respect the Vampire King; it was another to be friends with him.

Marshall Lee had been one of Fionna's best friend for five years now, and she was accustomed to his mischievous prankster side. As far as vampires go, he could actually be really cool when he wanted to be. And she trusted him.

They walked in silence for a while. The music he played was calming her nerves, causing her mind to dull as she focused on the path ahead of her and enjoyed his music. Even the biggest Marshall-haters in the Land of Aaa had to admit he was musically talented, and Fionna was inclined to agree. Some of her favorite outtings included him playing his newest song for her atop a grassy hill.

After a while, Marshall asked, "Where's the furball? Did she decide not to tag along for this adventure?" He suddenly glanced down at her, amusement lighting up his eyes. "Or did she get scared of the dark?"

Cake could be called many things, but a scaredy cat was not one of them. Fionna and Cake had battled sand beasts and underworld skeletons and crazy candy people who drooled sprinkled frosting. The duo had bravely towered over some of the biggest threats in the land without once flinching and come out on top. However, when brought face to face with a live vampire, Cake was reduced to a terrified mess. After knowing the vampire for a few years, she gradually started to warm up to him, but Marshall Lee still loved frightening the cat whenever he was given a chance.

Fionna kicked a rock ahead of her, and it skidded to a halt against a distant tree. "On a weekend date with Lord Monochromicorn. I've got the next three days to myself." She blew the bangs out of her face with an over exaggerated sigh. "Ice Queen's been eerily quiet, and it's been kinda slow on the adventuring side, so I had to go look for something to do." Truth be told, she was starting to regret it. This walk back home was becoming more trouble than it was worth. "What were you doing in the Dark Forest?" she asked.

He placed his bass around to his back and moved to hover upright next to her, hands in his skinny jean pockets. "Just practicing a bit. I needed inspiration for my next concert."

"Wicked place for inspiration, dude."

He grinned, shrugging. "What can I say? I have a reputation to maintain."

A branch snapping in the forest caught her attention, and she stopped in her tracks and listened. Silence. "What was that?" she asked, a note of caution creeping into her voice.

When he didn't answer, Fionna looked up at him.

Marshall Lee's eyes were no longer on her. His expression was intense, and he had his narrowed gaze locked on something she obviously couldn't see with her human eyes. A chill ran over her skin, goosebumps traveling over her arms. One hand reached behind her back to clutch at her sword in case whatever THAT was wasn't friendly. She followed his gaze, seeing nothing in the surrounding forest. The thick trees were silent and still. Her eyes returned to him.

"Marshall?" she ventured softly. No answer. Her foot took one cautious step toward him…

And just like that, the spell broke. Fionna was back in the Dark Forest with her vampire bud, and somehow, the area was less dangerous. He glanced down to her, and she could suddenly breathe again. "Yeah, Fi?"

Crossing her arms over her chest to calm her nerves, she stated, "I want to get out of this forest."

He ran his fingers through his ink-black hair. "Yeah. I think I do too, man." His feet touched the ground next to her, and he said, "I'm over it."

Fionna took the hint and, gathering up her resolve because flying was an uniquely exhilarating experience, wrapped her arms around his neck. His hand went under her knees to lift her bridal-style, and she had just enough time to clutch onto his plaid shirt before they were lifted up.

The gust of air tangled against her hair and took her breath away as they climbed higher. They moved fast through the tree limbs with Marshall somehow managing to dodge each obstacle in his path. "Hold on, kid," he stated, and she obediently closed her eyes, tightening her grip around his neck. In an instant, they burst free of the forest, snapping the thin branches near the treetops and soaring into the open skies.

Sensing it was safe, Fionna turned to look down at the Dark Forest fading into the distance. She let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and leaned her head against Marshall's shoulder. The coolness of his skin was noticeable even through the layers of clothing he was wearing. This, combined with the chill of the night air, caused a shiver to flutter over her body.

Marshall Lee glanced down at her, noticing the way the gunk from her clothing was getting all over his favorite clothes. "Geez, you smell like a troll vomited its guts on you. No wonder a monster hasn't devoured you yet."

Her face turned a delightful shade of red, and Marshall couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or annoyance. "Only cause I was fighting the bad guy and saving the day. You could have helped, dude."

"Nope. A piece of fancy paper isn't worth ruining my stylin' clothes over."

But carrying her home was?

She dropped the subject and instead focused on the excitement of traveling the undead way. After all these years, she thought she would have been used to it. Her heart raced in her chest as she cherished the way the world raced by her, the breeze whipping lightly over her face. It was different from all the times she rode on Cake's back when the cat grew to an impossible size. This time, she was suspended; she felt light, like she would never touch the ground again, and she knew then why Marshall Lee rarely walked.

At the same time, flight could also be a bit frightening. When Marshall took a sudden dive downward for no other reason than to switch direction, Fionna let out a gasp and clutched his neck tighter. It was easy to see why some Aaa citizens baulked at the whole concept of air travel. As for Fionna herself, her only fear was water…

And with that thought, she realized they were flying over a large open lake. Of course. Something inside her snapped, and she panicked. Staring in horror at the waters beneath them, she blindly began grasping for anything she could get her hands on- the neck of his axe-bass, for example, or the collar of his shirt.

"Relax, Fionna, I've got you," Marshall said, struggling to keep hold of the wiggling adventuress in his arms. When one of her hands grabbed one of his rather sensitive pointed ears and tugged it roughly, he let out a snake-like hiss and let her body drop, catching hold of both her hands before she plummeted to the lake below.

With wide, panicked eyes, she stared up at the floating boy above her, who looked a little too self-satisfied about their current predicament. "You do need a bath, Fi," he stated. "I'd be doing you a favor."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?" he grinned, giving her a glimpse of one fang against his lip.

She scrunched up her nose and glared harder, promising in her head an assortment of cruel and unusual punishments if he let her slip a fraction of an inch further.

Pulling her up into the air, he easily brought one hand under her knees and the other behind her back and caught her effortlessly.

Even after landing in the safety of his arms, her glare didn't lighten up. "You suck, Marshall Lee."

"Duh. Vampire."

With a roll of the eyes, she turned to see where they were headed. Over the horizon, the dim lights of the Candy Kingdom glowed, casting the surrounding sky in a tint of cotton candy pink. It was a direct contrast to the dark, dangerous forest they had just emerged from- The world that Marshall felt so comfortable in. With a sigh, she once again leaned her head against his shoulder and stared at the beauty of the kingdom in the distance where her other royal friend lived. It was late, so Gumball would be asleep already. His empire was so powerful and obvious. Yet again, she wondered where Marshall's kingdom was.

She turned her head back to the undead teen, taking in his face in the light of the moon. A few weeks ago, she had been at one of his rock concerts and heard a few of the wilder demon girls talking about how attractive he was and how they would loooovee to take him home. It would be a lie if Fionna said that she didn't get some small enjoyment at their surprised faces when Marshall walked up to her after the show to asked if she wanted to go chill for a while.

Looking at the thin slope of his nose, the curve of his cheekbones, and the forever youthful features of his face, she admitted that they were right; Marshall Lee was an attractive guy. And then, as though betrayed by her thoughts, a deep blush highlighted her face, and she ducked her head so he wouldn't notice.

This time, her eyes caught the two deep scar bitemarks on the side of his neck. After all their time together, he had never once told her how he got those scars. Was he born a vampire, and those were just wounds from a battle with another vampire? Or was he changed? If he was changed, what was he before, and how did his mom fit into the equation?

Maybe one day she'd just straight up ask him.

Before long, Marshall landed effortlessly at her front door and sat the young adventuress' feet onto the ground. She scooted her dark blue miniskirt further down her thighs where it had ridden up during the flight before standing straight. "Thanks, Marshall."

"Not a problem." He crossed his arms over his chest. The attempt to look cool and nonchalant failed slightly due to the faint stains across the front of his shirt. "If you're looking for something to do tomorrow, you could swing by my place. We could play some music, smash some pixies, terrorize Gumball. I don't have any plans."

"Sounds algebraic, dude. I'll have to see if the Ice Queen will give me a day off first though." Tomorrow was a Monday. Ice Queen loooved kidnapping princes on Mondays.

As Fionna stepped into her house and started to close the door, a red tennis shoe blocked the way. Surprised, she looked up to see Marshall still standing in the doorframe, appearing oddly serious.

"Hey, Fi?" Was that a hint of concern she registered in his voice? Her eyebrows drew together in confusion. "Don't go into the Dark Forest alone again, okay?"

Before she could answer, Marshall floated into the air and winked at her, back to his normal self. He raised two fingers in the eternal "rock on" gesture, and flew backwards into the sky.

For a moment, Fionna didn't move from her spot in the doorway. What was that about? It occurred to her that maybe Marshall had stuck with her in the Forest because there was something dangerous out there. With a huff, she slammed the front door shut. She was Fionna the Human, Adventuress and Heroine of Aaa! She could take care of herself.


	2. Horror Movie Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Which Our Hero and Her Vampire Friend Watch an Old Movie

Chapter 2: Horror Movie Interlude

It was afternoon when Fionna stepped into the cave where Marshall Lee lived. The setting sun cast his white, oddly suburban house in a warm orange glow from the cave's entrance. The picket fence gate squeaked in protest as she stepped onto his grassy lawn. For a night-dwelling vampire, he kept the plant life in his front yard neatly cut and healthy. Which was odd, considering she had never seen him tend to the plants.

She knocked on his front door and waited for him to respond. Silence. She tried again, this time pounding louder. "Marshall?" There was a faint echo inside the cave, but besides that, nothing.

Okay then. Stepping around to the side porch, she tried again there and peered hopefully in the door window. The lights were out in his house, but that wasn't anything unusual. He was a vampire, for glob's sake. He liked the dark.

Feeling a bit discouraged, but not really wanting to walk back home, she twisted at the doorknob and was surprised when it gave way. Of course his door was unlocked. Who would have the guts to enter the lair of the vampire king anyway? His name alone would be enough to deter any intruders.

Fionna stepped cautiously into his kitchen, feeling a bit apprehensive. "Marshall? Are you home?" It was still light out. Unless he carried an umbrella or something to shade him from the sun, he had to be home.

She moved silently through the house, resisting the urge to turn on the lights and feeling a bit weird about entering his home without his direct permission. He did invite her over the night before, so that was like an indirect invitation at least. It was this thought that allowed her to shove down feeling of wrongness and climb the ladder into his room.

The windows had been completely blocked out, casting the bedroom into darkness. She squinted as her eyes adjusted, seeing his axe bass propped up against his chair and various music sheets scattered over the desk. At the sight of the body stretched haphazardly over the bed, Fionna strode over to him and smirked fondly at Marshall Lee's sleeping form.

He was still wearing his pants from the previous night, but his plaid shirt had been replaced with a light grey tank top. A pair of headphones covered his pointed ears, attached to a cassette player that rested on his chest. That explained why he didn't hear her enter or call his name. Fionna could honestly say that she had never seen Marshall look so normal and, well… innocent. It just wasn't a word you could use to describe the thousand year old teenager. His dark hair hung over his closed eyes, and his mouth was open slightly. One arm was spread out on the sheets while the other lightly grasped the cassette player.

Fionna found herself wanting to brush the bangs out of his face or, for whatever reason, touch his cheek. So she did the next best thing without compromising any emotions. She reached one finger out and poked his face.

The reaction happened so fast that Fionna didn't have time to register what was going on. A hand was tightly around her throat, and she was carried roughly into the air toward the ceiling, a hissing face near her ear. Her back pressed against the wall, her feet dangling helplessly, she clutched at the hand around her neck to get it to loosen its grip, but it had the opposite effect. She wanted to scream or say his name- something to get him to stop and come to his senses, but she couldn't find her voice. Black spots were dancing in her vision…

Then the grip around her throat loosened, and the voice near her ear muttered, "Fionna?" He backed away to look her in the face, his eyes wide and surprised and his mouth hanging open in shock. Silently, he glided to the floor and let her go. Seeing her cough as she struggled to take deep breaths of glorious air, Marshall closed his mouth and gritted his teeth together, the look of surprise never leaving his face.

Once Fionna could breathe again without falling into a coughing fit, she raised her watery eyes to meet his. "I uh… wanted to see if you wanted to hang out."

If vampires had the ability to blush in embarrassment, Marshall would have been turning all shades of red. Instead, he simply said, "You scared me."

Fionna raised her eyebrows and clutched at the straps of her backpack. "I scared you?"

Not knowing what to say, Marshall dragged his fingers through his hair, turned on heel and walked- not flew - to pick up the cassette player and headphones that were strewn on the floor. He tossed them on the bed, then turned to face the adventuress again. "You okay?" He winced when he spoke the words, as though it was a not a question he asked often.

Fionna waved a hand in the air, shrugging it off for the sake of her friend. "Yeah, I'm all good. The Ice Queen's given me worse. I'm almost disappointed."

He knew she was exaggerating, but he gave her a small grin nonetheless. "Want some breakfast?"

"That sounds great. I'm starving."

His feet left the floor, and he glided backwards down into the living room. Fionna followed and quickly descended down the ladder.

Nearly all the foods in Marshall Lee's refrigerator was red due to his admittedly odd diet. "Whatcha want?" he asked, peering into the lighted insides of his fridge. "I've got strawberries, apples, cherries, cherry soda…"

Fionna scooted under his arm to take a look for herself, not happy with his suggestions.

"I think you left some cereal here last time," he offered.

"Oh, yeah…" And with that, she vanished from her spot next to him.

Marshall tossed a few cherries and strawberries into a bowl for himself as Fionna fixed her cereal, then the two of them sat at the rarely-used dining table.

"So what's the plan today," she asked around a mouthful of cinnamon cereal.

Marshall Lee tilted his chair back until it was standing on its two back legs. Fionna was convinced he was using his levitation powers to keep it from falling back. "I dunno," he answered. "Want to prank some of the Candy people?"

Although that was his specialty, Fionna felt guilty whenever she tagged along. "Nah. I think I need a relaxing day for once."

"A movie then? I've got a killer movie collection."

She thought about it, chewing slowly on her cereal, before nodding in a sudden decision. "Okay then, movie. Something scary with lots of mathematical action scenes."

"Hey, that's my favorite kind."

Fionna couldn't get her mind off of the events of the evening. It was the first time she had seen Marshall lose control like that. It wasn't like him. Usually, he was the laid-back, chill vampire that kept a careful check on an inherited evil nature. Before that day, she didn't even think it was possible to scare him. She thought back to the weird occurrence in the forest and that odd, threatening glare he was sending into the woods.

Deep in thought, she stared as Marshall dropped a cherry in his mouth, then retrieved it with the color drained and the stem tied into a knot. Sensing her gaze, he glanced up, the grey knotted cherry still dangling in his fingers. "What?"

"You okay?"

One eyebrow rose. "Yeah, why?"

"You just seem kinda… I dunno, on edge or something."

The master of dodging anything drama-related, Marshall simply responded, "Oh, Fionna. When will you learn? I'm always more than good."

She snorted a laugh in a very unlady-like manner. "Sure, whatever, dude."

After finishing their afternoon breakfast, the two searched through Marshall's video tapes and dvds in the cabinet of his living room. "Pft, this is hardly what I'd consider a killer movie collection," she complained. "I've already seen all of these."

"I can't help that you haunt my house to watch my movies." But he liked it nonetheless and motioned for her to follow him across the room.

"Wait, where are we going?"

"You think I'm going to let someone by unimpressed with my movie collection?" He grabbed her hands and floated her up into his attic.

Now, in all the times that the two had spent together, Fionna had not once been into his attic. She had once hidden in his closet without him knowing, shattered the window to his bathroom when playing rock baseball with Cake, and accidentally set loose a plague of mud frogs in his basement. But until that point, his attic had been a mystery that she had never really considered until that moment.

Even after he turned on the solitary light bulb in the middle of the room, the area was still dim and shaded in shadow. Dust hung onto the light surrounding the bulb and covered the boxes, abandoned lamps, and desks.

"How long has it been since you were up here?" she asked.

"A while." He blew the dust off of one of the boxes to reveal a label that said, "Vinyl Collection," then pushed it over to the side and moved to the next one. "I never really have much of a reason to."

A flowery, poofy-sleeved granny dress covered in a protective plastic caught her eyes, and she grabbed it from the nail in the wall and held it up to her body. "Evening wear, Marshall Lee?" she asked, posing dramatically.

He laughed, then said, "Nah, that belonged to the old lady that used to live here."

Fionna stopped, a frown curving the edges of her lips. "A lady used to live in this cave?"

The subject was dismissed with a raise of his shoulders. "There wasn't always a cave here."

"Oh." Her bottom lip stuck out thoughtfully as she placed the dress back on the nail, then her attention turned to the many boxes that littered the room. Each was labeled with a black marker- "Blankets," "Blackmail," "Concert Tickets"… "Is all of this yours?" she inquired, eyeing a box labeled with the alien word "Earth."

"Most of it, yeah."

She knelt down next to him to watch as he sorted through his belongings. One particular label caught her attention, and she asked, "Why do you have a box full of bottled souls?"

"Oh, that?" He pulled a rounded glass jar from the box and held it up. Something akin to the fog on a lake of water or warm breath in the middle of the winter sparkled in the jar, twisting its shape around. It could have been her imagination, but at the sight of Marshall Lee on the other side of the glass, the white smoke moved to the other side of the jar. "It's all the people that have angered me in the past. They tried to get to me, I got their souls."

"Marshall!" she exclaimed in shock, adding a rough punch to his arm for emphasis.

Indignantly, he rubbed the spot where she had hit him and responded, "Relax, I was just kidding."

But she wasn't convinced that he was, and she thought to herself that sometimes, Marshall Lee was a bit too much like his mom for comfort. Of course, she would never, ever mention this because she didn't want to become a collected soul in a jar herself.

"A-ha!" Marshall announced proudly, dragging out a partially torn box from underneath a dust-covered piano. "Make your pick, oh, Heroine of Aaa."

Most of the video tapes it contained were ancient- older than she had ever seen. The covers were fading, turning a pale sepia tone, and a few of the plastic cases looked brittle. "Where did these come from?" she asked, a bit in awe.

"Here and there."

"They're old."

"Doesn't mean they're not good."

One video caught her eye, and she removed it from the box gingerly. She stared at the cover, feelings a shock hit her stomach and travel over her limbs. Humans… This movie was about humans. They littered the cover, blondes and brunettes and redheads with all sorts of skin tones. How long ago was this made?

Fionna licked her lips, feeling like her tongue was thick, and stated, "I want to watch this one."

Apparently reading her thoughts, he raised one shoulder, feeling uncomfortable, and answered, "That movie sucks, Fi."

"I don't care. I want this one."

"Are you sure you don't…"

One hand lightly landed on his wrist, interrupting him. He stared down at her wide blue eyes that were threatening oncoming emotions as she said softly, "Please, Marshall?"

Dammit. With a sigh, he dragged his fingers through his hair and floated upwards. "Fine. Come on, adventuress." She took his offered hand, and he pulled her to her feet.

On their way back to the living room, she asked, "What's this movie about?"

Marshall Lee didn't look at her as he replied, "Vampires."

Now, there were a few things Fionna learned immediately from Marshall Lee's movie: 1) Humanity really had no idea what vampires looked or acted like. And 2) Most of the human beings on the film were cowards that had no idea how to defend themselves.

This did not please the heroine.

They were a quarter of the way through the film, curled up on Marshall's couch, and Fionna was full of questions. 'Are vampires really supposed to sleep in coffins?' 'Those vampires really just look like pale humans. That's silly. Could they not hire vampire actors?'

But then things shifted, and the movie started to get darker. People began screaming for their lives. Good characters raised their arms to fight, but were easily defeated. Blood began spilling on screen- red splashes running down wooden floors. It was so different from the horror films of Aaa, which featured corny monsters attacking creatures made of candy. Those were things she faced every day in real life; she could defeat those demons. This film was a different animal, with clever beings that plotted against the heroes and betrayed them. She was watching her extinct people get massacred by bloodthirsty demons. The reds that flashed across the screen were warning signals in her brain that made her queasy.

Nervously, Fionna glanced up at Marshall, who was reclined back in the chair with one hand casually over the back of the couch, seemingly amused by the over-exaggerated vampires on screen. The bunny-eared teen scooted closer to him and wrapped his arm her shoulders. His eyes landed on her in slight surprise, wondering if he had finally found a movie that could give the young girl nightmares, and he asked, "Is the Fearless Adventurer scared of an old horror film?"

"No," she answered, but a vampire attacked someone on screen. She let out a squeak and half-way buried her face in his chest while the other hand clutched his shirt for protection. If she caught onto the irony of the situation, she didn't show it.

"I could stop the film, if you'd like," he offered half teasingly.

"No, I'm not scared."

A hundred pranks to terrify her in her current state ran through his mind, ways to morph or shift or scare because it was one of the most natural things in the world to him. And then, as she placed her bunny-eared head against his shoulder, her warm body and racing heart pressed against his side, he decided that he preferred this better and shifted slightly to get more comfortable in that position.

One of the vampires on screen grabbed a human girl and jerked her into the air. Her screams pierced through Marshall's living room as the victim's friend arrived a moment too late.

The girl's blood splattered across her friend's face…

Such bright shades of red…

Like strawberries or apples or something harder to get and more valuable.

Marshall Lee blinked that thought away. This movie really did suck.

But as his cheek rested against his terrified partner's head, he also thought it was worth it in many ways.  
******************************

"Marshall?"

"Hmm?"

"Do other vampires drink blood?"

The end credits had been rolling on the screen for a while, and the two still remained in their position on the couch.

Marshall shrugged. "Some do."

"You don't." She knew he didn't, but for some reason, the statement sounded like a question.

"Nah, the color works just fine for me."

She bit her lip slightly, not sure if she should even ask the next question. "Do you ever want to?"

Eyebrows drawing together slightly, he looked down to see Fionna staring up at him with those large, innocent blue eyes of hers; the eyes of a little lost naïve girl who thought she was a hero. The question threw him off guard. Why in the world would she ask that? Was it the movie that brought it on? Or because of his reaction when she woke him up? At that thought, his stomach dropped and guilt washed over him. Didn't she know not to wake up a vampire suddenly? It was common knowledge.

There were many ways to answer her question; lies and half truths and- his personal favorite- exaggerations. But this was Fionna, and it was somehow different. He forced a smile abruptly on his face and tugged on the ears of her bunny hat. "Only when little lost heroines ask too many questions," he replied simply.

"Hey!" But her exclamation was half hearted, and he poked at her side teasingly.

A half-growl, half laugh escaped her, and she retaliated by smacking his hand away.

The next thing she knew, her hat was jerked off of her head, and her golden hair tumbled down around her shoulders. "You butt!" she exclaimed, diving for the hat that was suspended outside of her reach.

"So I've got this suspicion," the vampire said, stretching to keep the prized bunny ears out of the human's reach, "that this hat is the source of all your heroic human powers."

"Need an excuse for when I kicked your butt last time we fought, Vampire King?"

"Hah, I took it easy on you so I wouldn't break your fragile mortal body!"

Wrestling his arm out of the way, Fionna managed to climb onto his chest, her knee jabbing into his stomach, and stretched out to retrieve the prize. Seeing that she was just about to win, Marshall tossed the hat to the opposite corner of the room.

A comedic sounding growl of frustration escaped the human teen, and she leapt over both him and the back of the couch, focused intently on her goal. Planning for this to occur, Marshall managed to grab her ankle at just the right moment so she faceplanted into the floor. By the time she scrambled to her feet, the vampire king was in front of her, smirking as he blocked her pathway to the hat.

Smiling mischievously in a way that would put Marshall Lee to shame, she eyed her opponent, looking for a sign of weakness. They were at a standoff, both knowing that the first person to move would be at a disadvantage. However, Fionna had never been a subtle person, so she decided the best way to get out of this predicament would be to do a head-on attack full of force. The momentum of her charge knocked both of them back onto the floor, this time with Fionna pinning her partner down. Her eyes lifted to her goal in the corner of the room before dropping down to look at her opponent as if she didn't know what to do with the Vampire King now that she had him.

Her blonde hair formed a veil around his head, and he blew a stray lock out of his face. "Why don't you go get that?" he questioned, a mischievous spark in his eye.

She scrunched up her nose and stuck out her tongue at him, but she was also considering it. It was the only thing she could do.

Then, without warning, she found herself being lifted into the air as Marshall began floating upwards. "No fair!" she whined.

"Just because you can't use your awesome hat powers doesn't mean I can't use mine."

Her bottom lip stuck out in an exaggerated fashion as she contemplated her current predicament. Both of them were hovering about half way in the middle of the room. Then, figuring it was her only chance, she managed to roll off the floating Marshall Lee, land on the floor in a very unladylike fashion, and dove for the white bunny ears in the corner. Her hand curled around the soft fabric, and she held the item up proudly, doing a short, happy victory dance. "In yo' face, Vampire King!"

Marshall was hovering upside down, watching the Adventuress revel in her success. "Only cause I let you win."

Placing the bunny hat back on her head, she replied with a smile, "You're such a sore loser, Marshall."

One corner of his lip curved in a sly almost-smile. "Yeah, whatev."

She giggled as she retrieved her trademark green backpack from beside the couch. "I need to head home. It's getting late."

"The night's just begun."

"I'm not a nocturnal bat like you, Marsh." She walked over to her friend as he floated upright and gave him a quick kiss on his blueish-grey cheek. "I'll see you later, k? Maybe you, me, and Cake can go adventuring soon."

At the mention of Fionna's sister, Marshall snorted a laugh, already planning a variety of vicious pranks for the white and tan cat. Reading his thoughts, she sent a half-hearted glare his way as if it would discourage him.

When she flung open the front door to leave, she hesitated in the doorframe. The darkness outside loomed closer to her, hiding in it all manner of movie monsters that attacked young Heroines. She swallowed nervously.

"You're seriously not freaked out by that movie, are you?" Marshall Lee commented from somewhere behind her.

She turned around to pout at the hovering vampire and let out a petulant, "No."

Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned back in the air like he was reclining on an invisible chair. "You do realize I'm a vampire, don't you?"

"Yeah, but you're not like a scary, bloodthirsty one."

Marshall Lee, master of the night, son of the ruler of the Nightosphere, the shape shifting, fire breathing, thousand year old Vampire King that once killed a Queen to get his title, raised one eyebrow, feeling the powerful blow to his ego.

The next thing she knew, she was looking at a large, snarling wolf monster with sharp, dripping fangs. The sight didn't even earn a blink from the girl, and she patted its growling, furred cheek in a motherly "You lost the spelling bee, son, but you'll always be first in my heart" sort of way. "Okay, that was a lie," she commented with honesty. "I know lots of people that are terrified of you. But you're my friend, so it kind-of nullifies it, you know?"

Semi-satisfied with the response, he shifted back into his true form, a deadpan, slightly annoyed expression on his face.

"And anyway," Fionna continued, "I'm not scared of the movie, like I said. It's just really dark out there. It's like, new moon, no stars, pitch black dark. And I don't have a flashlight. So." She puffed out her cheeks, hoping he'd buy it. As an adventuress, she had a reputation, and she couldn't let a stupid film tarnish that reputation.

Being what he was, Marshall Lee could recognize fear easily. There was always an increase in heart rate, subtle movements of the body, and of course, the smell of fear, which he could easily pick up on. It all came with the territory of being a night creature. "I have a flashlight," he commented, knowing it was part of her ruse, but playing along nonetheless.

"Nah, I'll be fine. Just gotta get these guys used to the dark," she said, pointing to her eyeballs. "I'll see you later, Marshall." And with that, she swallowed down her wariness, turned on heel, and marched out the door and into the night.

Alone again, Marshall stared at the closed door for a while, wondering about the events of the night. Then he did something typical for him when he couldn't get his mind to rest; he went into his bedroom, picked up his bass, and wrote a song.


	3. Shades of Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Which This Story Runs Red With Blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing action scenes is hard, and I'm completely out of my element with it. I have a feeling you will all kill me when you reach the end of this chapter. Seriously. Reach the end of the chapter. I want to know what you think. 
> 
> And now, without further ado, the next part! Allons-y, as certain Doctors say.

CHAPTER 3: SHADES OF RED

It was a pleasant day in the Land of Aaa. The skies were clear save for a few clouds. A gentle breeze cooled down the summer heat. And somewhere to the North, a village of white, fluffy cloud people shrieked in horror at the sight of an angry, bloodthirsty hellbeast.

All in all, it was a fairly normal day for a certain hero.

"Hey, ugly!" Fionna screamed to said hell beast, pointing her sword in case there was any doubt who "ugly" was.

Unhappy with the interruption of its reign of terror, it raised its head and roared in annoyance. As it marching over to its new opponent, Fionna got a good look at the beast. It was mainly a skeletal form with rags as clothes (though what it was covering, she honestly didn't know) and a faint blue glow in its chest. Nothing an Adventuress couldn't handle.

"Has anyone ever told you you look like the Lich's dumber, second-rate cousin?"

Either it understood her and didn't like the insinuation, or the creature was just an angry guy in general, because it lifted up one skeletal hand and shot a blue ball of energy toward the girl. She had seen this sort of attack a hundred times before, mainly from the Ice Queen. It was second nature to do a killer leap into the air, her legs kicking out dramatically. She raised the sword in an arc above her head, and swiftly swung it downward on the skeleton's shoulder. With a great crack like a tree branch breaking, the arm severed from the shoulder and fell onto the ground, where it smoked a pale grey before fading to nothing.

Fionna's feet connected on the discs of the monster's spine, sliding for a second before she found footing. For a fleeting second, her gaze sought out her sister before realizing Cake wasn't there; she was still on her mini romantic vacation. Feeling a bit annoyed with that situation, Fionna huffed out a breath. Heroes don't take breaks for romance! To prove her point, she darted up the creatures' spine like running up an oversized stairway. Its large, boney hand reached to grab her as if she was an annoying mosquito that needed to be destroyed. With a loud battle cry that would have put a warrior princess to shame, Fionna jumped once, hitting the creature's thumb, then leapt once more till she was flying in a downward arc. Her feet connected with its head, sending a shockwave through her legs, and she used the instant momentum to plunge her sword into its skull with a loud crack. The damaged area of bone instantly began glowing a bright blue light, followed by rays of static electricity flowing from every open space in its body. With a gasp, Fionna clutched her sword and took a leap toward the ground, dodge rolling to avoid further damage to her legs.

Behind her, the creatures' blue spirit exploded from its skeletal form with a loud screech. Then, with a pitiful whine, the lifeless husk collapsed to the ground and evaporated to nothing.

A beat of silence ensued. Then the next thing Fionna knew, she was surrounded by cheering fluff people, who danced around her and flung a necklace of flowers around her neck. "Uh… Thanks guys," she said awkwardly.

"You have saved us, Mighty Fionna!" a Crowned Fluff creature announced. "We shall have a feast tonight in your honor! Won't you join us?"

Fionna could think of very few things more awkward than eating dinner amongst hundreds of tiny fluffy people, so she said, "Thanks, everyone, but I can't stay. The world won't save itself, you know."

If it could, would the War have happened all those years ago?

And so, clutching the straps of her backback, she began her trek through Aaa to locate more people to save. But the world was at peace, satisfied with just one evil monster for the day. With nothing else to do, Fionna went to the Candy Kingdom.

Now, if there was one thing Fionna liked most about the pink, frosting-coated lands, it would have to be the smell. Even outside the gates, the Candy Kingdom smelled like cotton candy or caramel or sometimes gingerbread. The young adventuress was not a girly girl, nor was she particularly fond of the color pink (unless worn by a certain prince), but the light pastel colors of the Kingdom made her happy. She could never pinpoint why, but there was always a certain peace and comfort that the area brought. It reminded her that no matter how many monsters tried to destroy the world, there would also be a ray of hope and a world that smelled of cotton candy where she would always be welcomed. And home, she learned, was a very important thing in the Land of Aaa. Especially to a human.

As Fionna made her way through the Candy Kingdom, a black and red poster hanging on the side of a building caught her eye. The colors were a bit too harsh for that particular area, so she moved closer to get a look.

"One Night Only!" the flier announced. "The Vampire King in the Rock Event of the Century! Marshall Lee and the Horror Kings with the Wake the Dead Concert. Musical Guests include Electric Shock. Tickets Sold in Advance Only. Heads will Roll. Show Up… If You Dare." To emphasize this point, a photo of Marshall Lee was printed on the page, a menacing, fanged smile on his face as he held up his Axe Bass. His eyes glowed entirely red, and electricity flowed around him, making his hair stick up at wild angles.

Fionna smiled at his theatrics. Say what you would about him, but he definitely knew how to sell a show. She'd have to buy her ticket soon… Or just ask if Marshall had any spare tickets he could give her.

Making a mental note to mention it next time he was floating around, she headed toward the impressive castle in the center of town. She had been there countless times before, and the two candy canes standing guard barely gave her a second glance. The Peppermint Maid wasn't as easy to slip by, and the red and white striped assistant held up her hand as Fionna passed. "I'm sorry, Ma'am, but the Prince is busy this evening."

"Oh, he won't mind. He probably needs a break anyway."

"But, Ma'am, he is working on a highly sensitive scientific equation, and distractions are strictly prohibited."

"Science-y stuff? I can help with that. Like, hold beakers and be a guinea pig and all that. Thanks for the info, Pepper. See ya later!"

And that was enough to get passed the dumbfounded maid, who had been around long enough to know that there were few things she could do to stop the young adventuress.

Now, if Gumball were working on science-y stuff, he'd most likely be in two places: Either his room, where he often went to concentrate on formulas, or, if it was something major that needed more hands-on research, the lab downstairs. Since the Peppermint Maid tried to thwart her attempts at seeing the Prince, Fionna guessed the latter.

The door to his lab was unlocked, and she stepped through the dimly lit area. As expected, Gumball was in the middle of the room, sporting his white lab coat and a pair of large goggles. He held up a large Erlenmeyer flask and a droplet, squinting as he carefully added a drop to the blue concoction, which instantly turned it purple. "Hmm…Interesting," he muttered.

Next to him was a tall, clear glass tub that came up to his chest area. A humanoid shape floated in the center of a glowing bluish-green liquid. It was too dense to truly make out the details of the figure. Unceremoniously, Gumball dumped the contents of the flask into the tub, where it poofed loudly and emitted a pale pink cloud.

"Heya, PG," Fionna announced, and the Prince jumped in surprise.

"Fionna! I didn't notice you come in. How is my favorite adventuress?"

With a sigh, the human leaned against the edge of the glass tub and rested her arms and chin on its lid. "Boooorreeed," she whined. "There are no baddies to fight, and Cake's gone on some romantic get away or something." She rolled her eyes to show what she thought of that. "I'm just about to go crazy, dude."

"I'm sorry to hear that." He lifted the goggles onto his forehead to look at his guest. "You can hang out here for a while, if you'd like. I was just working on a breakthrough experiment, and I may need an extra set of hands. It's not exactly ogre-battling or dragon-slaying excitement, but it may alleviate the boredom."

A fond smile found its way to her face at his prim and proper tone. It was the tone he had been taught since childhood. "That's cool." Her gaze wandered down to the concoction in the tub, and she asked, "Whatcha sciencin'?"

"Do you remember that experiment I did a few years ago? With creating a proper ruler? I believe I have finally worked out the bugs in the formula."

"Oh," Fionna responded.

Prince Gumball feared death. She had figured that one out long ago from his many attempts to reanimate the dead or create a successor or stave off mortality. He worried about his kingdom going to the wrong hands when he died, and that was what often fueled many of his scientific experiments.

Fionna looked down into the tub of glowing sludge thoughtfully. "Hey, PG, can I ask you a question?"

The young royal had already went back to the science equation on his nearby dry erase board. "Of course."

"You know the Rainicorn Dog Wars? Was there ever a Human Vampire War too?"

"Not that I know of. Why do you ask?"

"I was hanging out with Marshall Lee the other day…"

"Not getting into too much trouble, I hope?" Gumball interrupted, glancing over to her with a raised eyebrow.

"No, we didn't even go into town. He had this movie from before the war with vampires in it, and they were killing all the humans. It was brutal."

"Ah. As far as I know, there was no war. That would be a question you'd have to ask Marshall Lee. He's been alive since then."

"Yeah…" As an afterthought, she added, "It was a really dumb movie anyway."

Gumball erased an equation on the board and replaced it with mathematical symbols that made little sense to Fionna. "I saw the fliers around town," he stated. "Will you be going to his concert?"

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it!"

He removed his goggles and massaged the area where they had indented his light pink skin. "I don't quite understand his concerts. It just sounds like a lot of loud noise and sweaty bodies in crowded areas. There's no logic behind it."

"You can't think of music like that. It comes from the heart and soul, and that stuff's completely not logical."

"Heart and soul, huh?" the prince mumbled, his eyes drifting slowly over to his creation. He mulled it over in his mind, then said suddenly, "Either way, I prefer things that make sense and have order. Chaos has never been appealing to me, and that's what Marshall's music sounds like."

Thinking of how hard Marshall would take that criticism if he heard it, Fionna was glad that the vampire bassist wasn't around. "You should go, PG. You may end up liking the show. Marshall's really good onstage, and it would mean a lot to him if his friends showed up."

"I don't know…"

"Come on, I'll go with you. I'll get Marshall to get us some tickets."

"Well, if I have no other plans that day, perhaps…"

Fionna leapt up excitedly and exclaimed, "Mathematical, PG, you won't regret it!"

The Prince sighed and massaged his temple. "Just… no where near the center of the crowd, okay?"

"I make no promises," she responded. "I'm a rock and roll party machine."

He rolled his eyes, already regretting the decision.

Maybe he could get out of it somehow… Get the Peppermint Maid to schedule an urgent meeting.

Even as he thought it, he knew it was too late. The deal was struck, and Fionna would not be satisfied till the Prince of the Candy Kingdom was a Mosh Pit Master.

Now, Fionna was not one to break a promise, but she was also not one to skip out on her heroine responsibilities. When these two noble characteristics clashed, she always did what felt right because she was always, first and foremost, a hero.

And if you wanted to get technical, she never really promised the Vampire King anything.

One her way back to the treehouse for the night, Fionna passed by the Dark Forest. It was evening, and the late afternoon setting sun dyed the skies a sharp shade of red and orange over the treetops. The colors silhouetted the jagged branches like clawed hands reaching skyward. It was dark and pretty, and when Fionna paused to admire the sight, the soft sound of crying caught her attention. The noise came from a nearby bush, and Fionna quickly darted over.

"Hello?" she called, pushing some branches out of the way.

There, hidden behind the leaves, was a tiny frog-like creature with a bucket strapped to his head. Thick tears poured from his eyes, and his knees were curled up close to his green body. A wheelbarrel full of apples lay on its side beside him, and the fruit surrounded his sobbing form. One apple had somehow managed to get into his bucket hat.

"Are you okay?" Fionna asked.

The creature shrieked, his eyes jumping toward the human girl.

"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you. I heard you crying, and wanted to see if I could help." She smiled in her most trustworthy, charming way.

Swiftly swiping away a stray tear, the creature swallowed, his wide, milky eyes staring up at her. "I… I was on my way through the Forest," he said, sniffling. "It was a shortcut, my friend said. And… and then there was this monster that came from nowhere. And it just snatched up my friend… Like… Like he weighed nothing." His eyes closed, and his next words were a heartbroken wail. "And he ate him."

"Oh, whoa." She knelt beside the frog, whose full, standing form reached her waist. "I'm so sorry," she said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Where did the monster go? I'm a hero, I fight bad guys all the time. I can avenge your friend."

When the frog looked at her, there was fear and worry in his watery gaze. "It's terrible. I've never seen anything like it."

Fionna held up the flowery trophy around her neck. "Look, see this? This was my reward for fighting a huge skeleton monster this morning and banished him to the Nightosphere. Trust me. I can handle anything that brute can throw at me."

The frog held up a shaky hand and pointed toward a large pathway through the forest.

A Forest that happened to be very Dark and foreboding.

Hearing Marshall Lee's warning ring in her ears, Fionna stood carefully and attempted to hide the sudden nervousness that fluttered through her stomach.

"Please be careful," the frog said softly.

As proof of her abilities, Fionna clutched onto her crystal sword and twisted it around with a flick of her wrist. Then, with a confident smile, she headed down the pathway and into the dark.

It was amazing how the thick, gnarled branches blocked out what little light came from the setting sun. As she followed the path of snapped limbs, she got the distinct impression that this would not be an easy battle. The mere width between the broken branches revealed the sheer intimidating size of this monster.

Don't go into the Dark Forest alone again, okay?

"Whatever, Marshall," Fionna muttered to herself. "I don't see you volunteering to save the world."

Her voice felt abnormally loud in the area, and she realized that it was very, very quiet. A shutter whispered along her spine, and she turned to look behind her. The forest swallowed the entrance altogether, casting the area into complete darkness.

Well… Okay then. No looking back now.

She put on her brave face and moved forward. "Any monsters nearby?" she called softly, mainly to calm her own nerves. "Helloooo. Big bad evil demon creature? Come and face me like a man. Or woman. Or….thing. Whatever you are."

No answer. Not like she expected there to be.

At some point, Fionna began to wonder how far she had traveled and if she would simply find herself on the opposite end of the forest altogether.

And it was at this point that she heard it.

Loud and soft at the same time, like a large creature making a low noise deep within its chest. That sound was enough to slow her movements. Cautiously, Fionna tiptoed around the corner to get a look at her opponent.

It was turned away from her, its massive body bent over something that she couldn't see. From her viewpoint, it looked like a big ball of coarse, black fur with a sharp spine emerging from its back.

Gathering her courage, Fionna pointed her sword in its direction and shouted, "Hey, ya butt! Turn around and fight me!"

The creature stood slowly, each disc of its spine cracking loudly with the movement, and turned to face her with a deep growl.

"Uh-oh," Fionna muttered.

It had to have been at least twenty foot tall at full height. Its head crushed the branches over its head, causing limbs to rain down around it. And if its sheer size wasn't formidable enough, its looks were. It had six eyes, all black like wet drops of ink. Its reptilian nose was embedded in its skull, and its bottom jaw was jutted out with numerous sharp fangs emerging from its lip. Its arms were extended to almost its ankles, with the fingertips stretching out into long, sharp claws.

The monster took one scowling look at Fionna and roared. The sound echoed through the quiet forest, and a flock of nearby birds took to the air.

Now, Fionna was not stupid. She knew when she was out of her league, and sometimes, even her noble heroic blood could be shoved aside for survival. Her foot took one half step back, and she muttered to herself, "Oh, my glob."

And with those words, Fionna -brave adventuress who had very little to fear except stupid bloody vampire movies - turned on her little black heels and ran for her life. The creature, still quite angry with the interruption, followed.

"Not cool, not cool, not cool," Fionna chanted between breaths as she leapt over tree roots, ducked beneath low hanging branches, and slid on dead leaves to make a zig-zag turn and confuse her pursuer. Of course, when your opponent was the size of a house with six beady eyes (because two would be too flippin' logical), it was hard to escape.

Unless she did something so crazy stupid, it was certain to throw the monster off its game.

So Fionna, the mistress of stupid, did a 360 and ran headfirst toward her opponent, who slowed down in surprise at the young girl's actions. She held up her sword and, with a wild battle cry, stabbed it into the creature's foot. Unfortunately, she didn't think past this point, and her actions only served to further annoy the massive beast. With his injured foot, he flung both her and her toothpick of a sword into a nearby tree.

The impact ricocheted through her body, and she gritted her teeth together and arched her back to deal with the pain. The monster knew it had won. It turned its head sideways to examine its prey, a low growl emitting from somewhere in its chest.

Now, there is a very certain sound a bass makes when it collides with an object. The sound is deep and discordant and entirely unpleasant. That specific sound was never meant to exist, and when it did exist, it meant one thing to the young adventuress.

Suddenly hopeful, Fionna's gaze landed on the vampire that hovered above the creature. His axe bass was implanted firmly into its skull, which leaked a bright red from the injury.

"Marshall Lee!" she exclaimed.

He glanced at her, raised two fingers casually, then clutched onto the neck of his bass. His red tennis shoes landed on the monster's head so he could pry the weapon away. When he did, the creature swung one arm back to get rid of the new challenger. Its hand hit Marshall directly on the chest, and he flew backwards, did a backflip in midair, and landed in a vertical crouched position against a tree trunk. With a violent smirk, Marshall slung his jagged black hair out of his dark eyes and looked up at the creature, who had his attention directed entirely to the vampire. Perfect. Marshall used his crouched position as momentum and propelled himself away from the tree, flying fast toward his target. His axe bass swung like a baseball bat, and the sharp edge connected with two of the creature's right eyes. It howled in pain and clutched onto its bleeding eye sockets. While it was distracted, Marshall landed next to Fionna.

"Man, am I glad to see you," she stated.

"No time to talk," he responded. His hand wrapped around her waist, and before she had time to brace herself, they were flying fast through the forest. She shouted his name, her hands frantically wrapping around his neck and clutching onto his grey v-neck shirt. He ignored her panicked shouts and efforts. The trees passed by in a blur, and she couldn't distinguish which direction they were heading. How could he do this and not fly headfirst into an obstacle?

They burst into a clearing, which Marshall flew swiftly over, and landed on the opposite side near a group of dense trees. He let go of the human girl, and her legs wobbled as she planted both feet firmly on the ground.

"What the hell, Fionna?" Marshall exclaimed, his dark eyes gleaming with both annoyance and worry. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Indignantly, she stuck out her bottom lip and glowered at him to preserve some of her pride. "No. Someone needed my help."

"Do you have to save everyone?"

"Yes. Of course I do!"

Her defiant glare met his unflinchingly as though daring him to say something negative about her decision. After a moment, he let out a defeated sigh and raked his fingers through his black hair. "I'll never understand heroes," he stated.

At that exact moment, the creature strode into the clearing, its damaged eyes having difficulty seeking out its prey.

Marshall exhaled deeply, glancing over to his opponent briefly before turning back to Fionna. "Okay, look, just stay here, alright? Don't move from this spot, and I'll save the day this time. Got it?"

"Uhm, okay."

He shoved his bloody axe into her hands. "And hold onto this. Don't lose it."

Fionna raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You don't need it?"

The white of his eyes evaporated like smoke till she was looking into two entirely black orbs. He smirked viciously at her. "Nope."

Dissatisfied with the sudden lack of bloodshed, the creature howled as though impatient.

"Yeah, yeah," Marshall responded, turning to face the monster. "Right back at ya, buddy." He cracked his fingers as each digit lengthened into claws. "So you wanna play like big bad monsters? I'm down with that."

With those words, jagged, leathery wings sprouted from his back and arched upward toward the sky, his arms and legs lengthened as his size grew, and his youthful face shifted into a more bat-like appearance. Fionna had seen this appearance before. He'd used it when they first met and she fought him to regain her home. But back then, it was more intimidation than anything else. This was different. Marshall rarely sought out battles, not caring enough about the citizens of Aaa to put out the effort. It had taken Fionna a while to understand it: As he had once told her, it wasn't that he was evil. After living so long, his moral code was skewed. Why should he save a complete stranger? If he didn't know them, he didn't care much for them.

Why would he save her…?

With narrowed, mocking black eyes, Marshall Lee waved one sharp-clawed hand to beckon the monster closer. His opponent took in his new size and shape, then growled deep and rushed forward with fangs bared.

"Be careful!" Fionna shouted, clutching the handle of his axe tighter for comfort.

Marshall caught the creatures' arms in his grasp, gripping hard until the creature gritted his sharp teeth together in pain. He pushed it backwards until it was taking heavy steps toward the center of a field. Then with one quick twist of his wrist, the cracking sound of breaking bones filled the area, and the creature howled in both agony and fury. It jerked its unharmed limb out of Marshall's grasp and swiped at him with its claws. The vampire moved out of range with one flap of his wings and dodged the attack. The beast quickly followed up by leaping and tackling the vampire onto the ground, its sharp teeth aiming for his jugular. Marshall Lee had been bitten once in his life, and he wasn't too keen on being bitten again, so he pressed his arm against the monster's throat to keep its snapping jaws away. Its claws managed to dig deep into Marshall's shoulder, and with gritted teeth, the undead king flung the monster off of him.

By this point, the creature was furious and full of blinding bloodlust, so it leapt up and took a run toward the vampire. Its fist connected with his stomach, and Marshall went flying back till his body connected painfully with a tree trunk.

Fionna happened to be standing nearby, and when this happened, she cried out his name. His solid black eyes landed on her briefly, and she gave him a concerned, helpless expression as though asking what she could do to help. But she couldn't get involved at this point, of course. She would just be in the way. When two very large creatures battled, it would be in a human's best interests to watch from the sidelines.

Satisfied that she wasn't hurt, Marshall Lee raised his gaze back to his opponent.

Now, from her many years of knowing the Vampire King, Fionna discovered that she could typically read his emotions from the color of his eyes. Normally, his pupil and iris were a simple, albeit eerie black. When he wanted to threaten, prank, or intimidate someone, the whites would fade to black too till his eyeballs were two dark orbs. When he was angry, his eyes would be a bright, occasionally glowing red. And when he was really, truly furious, his eyes would catch alight and burn with flames.

At that moment, Marshall was very irritated to say the least, and there was a spark within those inky depths of his gaze. "Okay," he muttered, and Fionna thought it was strange to hear his voice come from a large demon bat's body. "That actually hurt."

In an instant, Marshall was flying like a bullet toward the creature, his wings pressed against his body to give him speed. He clutched onto his opponent's throat and, with a flap of the wings, took a sudden turn upwards into the air. The two gained altitude in a tangle of wrestling limbs.

Fionna took one cautious step into the field to look up. The night sky camouflaged the two of them, and her eyes squinted to make sense of the shadowy figures in the distance. Then, with no warning, one figure separated from the other and began plummeting at a rapid speed toward the ground. For one brief, heart stopping moment, she thought it may be Marshall. This shadowed shape didn't have wings though, and it collided, feet first, onto the solid ground.

Marshall drifted downward, landing lightly in front of the creature. It had broken one leg in the fall and was struggling to stand.

With one talon-like claw, Marshall swiped at the monster's stomach, chest, and throat, and it doubled over in pain. Blood poured in thick drops over the grass, staining them a deep red.

To someone that didn't know Marshall Lee, it was often very difficult to tell he was somewhere inside his bat form's mind. But when he smiled in that cocky way he was known for, or when he tilted his head or crinkled his nose in a teasing manner, Fionna could see it. It was her best friend Marshall Lee, and he thought he had won. His opponent had a broken arm, a broken leg, and numerous injuries. And for Fionna, who saw her good friend in the bat creature, the unexpected turn in the battle was all the more horrifying.

The monster looked up at Marshall with pure hatred in its eyes. Its next move was borne out of adrenaline and desperation. It leaned back and stabbed quickly toward the vampire's chest with its uninjured hand. Its blade-like talons easily tore through flesh and bone. Marshall blinked in surprise and took a few staggering steps backwards. When his back pressed against a tree, the creature struck again, this time, shoving his sharp-clawed hand into his chest. Marshall gritted his teeth together in pain. Blood poured in rivulets down his lip. He grasped onto the monster's hand as though to feebly pry him away.

The creature's final move was a death strike. With its needle-like teeth, it tore into the vampire's throat and took away a large chunk of flesh. Marshall's eyes grew wide, the muscles in his neck working as though to breathe or swallow. And to Fionna's horror, he began transforming back to his normal form. His black fur-covered skin turned to its normal grey, and his wings shrunk into his back until they were completely gone. His small, suddenly fragile-looking body slumped against the tree and slid, lifeless, to the ground.

No, no, no, that wasn't supposed to happen. For one heart-pounding moment, Fionna didn't know what to do. Stay there? Fight? Go check on her wounded friend? So she did the only thing she knew how to do. Blinking back oncoming tears, she hefted the axe bass into a battle position and ran headfirst toward the creature. She leapt high, jumping on its knee first, then its arm, and onto its shoulder. The axe bass was heaver than it looked, especially when Marshall carried around like it weighed nothing, and it took an effort for her to lift her trembling arms and swing the axe down into the monster's neck. The injured creature was already crouched in a kneeling position. One hand touched the ground to steady itself as the other lifted slightly as though wanting to push Fionna away, but not having the energy to. One more swing of the axe brought it down entirely.

Fionna rolled from its fallen shoulder onto the ground. Tossing the axe bass away from her, she stumbled in her rush to get to her friend, regained her footing, then fell on her knees beside his unmoving form.

"Marshall Lee!" she shrieked, her voice cracking.

His once-grey shirt was torn and covered in red. Blood formed a shallow pool around him and still poured from the open wound on his neck. His eyes were wide open and unresponsive, entirely black like they had been when he was in his bat form. Fionna cupped his face in her hands as tears flooded her vision and flowed freely down her cheeks. "No, no, no, no. Don't you dare die on me, Marshall!"

She bent her ear to his face to see if she could catch his breath, and when that didn't work, her hand went to his mouth and nose. Her own breath was held as she waited, hearing her own panicked heartbeat inside her ears. Nothing. Not even a whisper of a breath. Did vampires need to breathe to live? Damn it, why didn't he ever tell her these things?

Her next move was to check his heartbeat, but one glance at his mangled neck and chest told her it would be a difficult task. His skin was so tattered and bloody that she couldn't tell where the wound ended and his flesh began. Swallowing down her nausea, she pressed her hand against his chest, and when it simply sank down past his flesh into a puddle of mangled muscles, she shrieked and jerked her hand away.

Horrified, she stared at the bright red that coated her fingers. Her chest hurt as her breaths came in short, panicked puffs. With a wail, she clutched tightly onto his shirt and rested her forehead on his shoulder. She sobbed hopelessly, tears soaked into his gray v-neck. "What do I do?!" she cried. "I don't know how to save you."

She lifted her head and stared at him, desperately running her fingers through his black hair and grasping the strands lightly. "Marshall, please!" she begged. His hollow eyes stared up at her without recognition. And, because she had no other options in her frazzled state, she pressed her lips tightly against his as though it would somehow bring him back to life. It worked in fairy tales, so it could work now, right?

But Marshall Lee was no prince charming and Fionna was no princess, and when she backed away to look at him, nothing had changed. Heat flooded her face and dyed her cheeks a bright red as she realized what she had just done. In her head, she imagined that this was all just a prank. In a few seconds, Marshall would blink, and his eyes would go back to normal. His skin would heal immediately like she had seen in the past. And he would laugh at her and tease her for her blush and actions.

And in some alternate ending to that fantasy, he would touch the back of her head and bring her lips to his in a return kiss.

But none of that happened.

Fionna brushed her fingers over his eyelids to close his eyes. As gently as possible, she put her arms beneath Marshall Lee and shakily picked him up. Her body was weak from both physical and mental exhaustion, but she didn't know what else to do, and there was only one place she knew to go to. He weighed more than expected, and she struggled to walk as she made her way through the forest. How could someone that spent his time floating weigh so much?

Fionna didn't know how she did it, but she somehow managed to carry Marshall out of the Dark Forest and made her way through the fields of Aaa. Occasionally, she would fall to one knee, take a deep breath to compose herself, and stand, trembling, to continue her journey.

The castle gates to the Candy Kingdom were a welcome change in scenery. With her destination so close, Fionna gathered the strength to pick up speed. The smell of candy was suddenly sickening, and she dodged staring eyes and whispered rumors that were sent her way. Marshall's head rolled onto her shoulder, and she glanced down at him. "Hold on, Marshall, we're almost there."

Now, the Candy Kingdom Hospital's specialty was treating Candy People, and Candy People were made of Candy Biomass, which was very different from flesh and blood. But in all of Aaa, it was the only hospital Fionna knew of. When she kicked open the doors of the large building, the entire room went silent. The receptionist, various nurses, and families of the sick all stared, wide eyed at the injured body in her arms. Blood steadily dripped onto the white tile flooring, and for a long time, no one moved. Then Fionna, annoyed with the reactions, exclaimed, "Help him, okay?"

As though a spell was broken, the staff moved to action. A stretcher quickly rolled out of the backroom, and two nurses helped place him on it. No longer carrying him, Fionna fell to her knees on the floor, her breath ragged and her arms and legs aching from the effort. Doctors and nurses swarmed around him and began checking for vital signs. They wouldn't find any, of course. Marshall was already undead, whatever that meant.

After the initial check of his condition, the staff rolled him into the backroom. Fionna jumped up and moved to follow, but Dr. IceCream stepped in front of her and held up one hand. "I'm sorry, Fionna, but you can't go back there."

"What? Why not?"

"You'll only be in the way."

She looked over the Doctor's shoulder to the door window, seeing her friend carted off into an unknown room.

For a moment, no one spoke. Then the Doctor stated, "We can't treat him here, you know."

Fionna's gaze snapped back to the talking ice cream cone. "What?! You HAVE to!"

"We don't have the proper knowledge or equipment for him. We don't treat vampires here."

Now, the adventuress had been through one hell of a day, and she had just walked miles to get there. Her head hurt, she was exhausted, and worry was making her unstable. At those words, something inside her snapped, and she clutched onto the Doctor's white uniform. "You'll treat this one, or so help me glob, I will make sure you regret it."

He nodded, eyebrows wide. "We'll see what we can do."

Semi-satisfied with that answer, she let go of his uniform, noticing then the red hand prints that were left behind. With a sigh, she stepped back a few steps and collapsed into a nearby chair in the front lobby. Her blue shirt and skirt were stained various shades of red. The colors reminded her of violence and blushing cheeks. She pulled her cell phone out of her backpack and dialed her sister's number. As the phone rang in her ear, she curled into a ball in the chair, clutching her knees to her body.

The sound of Cake's voice in the receiver was the most comforting sound in the world. "Yello?"

"Cake," Fionna said softly, her voice cracking as she fought back tears. "I need your help."

"Fionna, baby, what's going on? Are you okay?"

"Can you bring a change of clothes and meet me at the Candy Kingdom Hospital?"

There was a beat of silence as the two-toned cat processed this request. "Fionna, are you hurt?"

"No." With her sleeve, Fionna roughly swiped a stray burning tear from her cheek. She swallowed, her eyes rolling toward the ceiling light to stave off the crying. "I think I just killed Marshall Lee."


	4. Of Saints and Monsters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Which Two Friends Have a Long Talk

Chapter 4: Of Saints and Monsters

The wallpapers in hospitals are awful, Fionna thought, staring blankly into the distance.

She hadn't moved from her curled-up position in forty minutes. The ugly, uncomfortable hospital lobby chair made her back and neck ache, but she couldn't find the strength or resolve to move. Even though people wandered in and out of the area, no one said anything to her. They were obviously disturbed by the blood-covered clothes and scratches lining her body, but that was okay. Though typically a sociable person, Fionna preferred to be left alone at the moment.

She hadn't heard a word about Marshall's condition from any of the doctors and nurses. In fact, Dr. Ice Cream had pretty much vanished into the backrooms. Some paranoid part of her wondered if maybe they had simply thrown Marshall's unconscious body into a room and left him to die. Oh, Glob, what if she was just sitting there when Marshall was just tossed away like trash?

Okay, calm down, Fionna, she told herself. The Candy People wouldn't be that heartless. Alright, maybe some of them would, but those people didn't work in hospitals. She'd just have to trust them to do the right thing.

"Fionna, honey, I came as soon as I could!" Cake's voice shot throughout the silent lobby like an arrow, causing one nervous-looking marshmallow person to jump in fright. The cat carried with her an armful of green and white clothing.

With one long look over her adopted sister's raggedy condition, Cake's eyes grew wide, and her mouth fell open in shock. "Oh, baby, what happened?"

"Well, it was Marshall Lee…"

At the mention of their vampire friend and the sight of Fionna's blood-covered clothes, Cake's tail fluffed up and she exclaimed, "What did that vampire do? Oh, I'll kill him. I'll claw his eyes out and throw garlic at him till he won't show his face this side of the Nightosphere."

"Cake, chill, Marshall didn't do anything," Fionna explained. "I was in the Dark Forest, and some big freak of a monster attacked me. Marshall came in to help, and the monster injured him. Badly." She was silent for a moment, then she added softly, "Really badly. I'm worried about him, Cake."

The calico raised one eyebrow dubiously. "Hm. Must have been some monster to take down a Vampire King." Cake wasn't one hundred percent fond of her sister's undead friend, but she knew what he meant to Fionna, and well, if he was that important to her sister, then she could tolerate him too. She also knew what he was capable of when provoked. He was in no way, shape, or form an easy opponent to defeat.

"You should get changed, girl," Cake said, passing over the clean clothing. "You look like a scene from a slasher film."

Fionna took the outstretched clothes, already imagining how glorious it would be to feel clean again. Although she wasn't a very feminine girl, she had a few indulgences, and fresh clothes was one of them.

She changed in the bathroom and dropped her blood-stained blue shirt and skirt in a plastic bag. After hesitating for a moment, she tied the bag tightly and tossed it in the trash can. It wasn't worth even trying to save.

Her face was a red, blotchy mess in the bathroom mirror, and she winced at the sight. Dark marks circled her swollen eyes, a shallow scratch lined one side of her lip, and her hair was a tangled mess beneath her bunny hat. "Ughhh," she groaned. She tried to run her fingers through her tangled bangs, but they only caught in the strands, further tightening the knots. Cake had brought her a green and white striped sweater that was a size too large and a pair of loose blue jeans. Whatever shape she had developed in her teenage years was drowned in the oversized striped sweater. With a deadpan glare to her twin in the mirror, she stuffed the loose locks of hair back into her hat, splashed her face with water, and decided she'd just look like someone tore off her face and regurgitated it back on her head. If they didn't like it, they didn't have to look at her.

And with that mentality, she stormed back into the hospital waiting room to face the medical staff. Dr. Ice Cream was already in the lobby chatting quietly with Cake, much to her surprise. She darted over to the two, looking hopefully between them. "Well?" she asked. "Is he okay?"

The doctor held his clipboard close to his chest, frowning at the overactive teen's wide, hopeful stare. "He's showing no vital signs at all, so it's impossible to tell. His injuries are serious and fatal. If anyone else were in his condition, I'd say they were gone."

"But it's not just anyone," Fionna said. "It's Marshall Lee. He's the Vampire King, and he's been around for practically, like, forever."

"Look, Fionna, he may be okay, and he may not be. I've never encountered a situation with a vampire before. We've cleaned his wounds and bandaged him, but that's as far as we can go at this point. He's lost most of his blood, and he's completely unresponsive to any external stimuli. Now we just have to wait to see if he wakes up."

Not exactly the most patient person in Aaa, she frowned at that solution. "Can I at least see him?"

He straightened the glasses over his eyes. "I would have to discourage that. Even if he does wake up, we don't know the condition he'll be in, both physically and mentally. He could be a danger to anyone near him, and some of our patients and staff have already voiced concerns about his stay in our hospital."

"I'm going to see him," Fionna said, full of determination.

Cake looked up at her human sister. "I don't think that's a good idea, Fi. Marshall could be all blood-thirsty and bat crazy when he wakes up."

"And I trust him, so I'm going to stay with him."

The Doctor sniffed, eyebrows raised arrogantly, and scribbled something on his clipboard. "That's up to you, but I'm required to give you that warning. In the meantime, are there any family members we should alert to his condition?"

"None you'd want to meet," Cake muttered.

"Yeah," Fionna said. "Let's not call family."

"Very well," he answered. "I'll take you back to see Mr. Marshall Lee then."

Cake followed along, which Fionna guessed was partially for her rather than Marshall's sake. The long hallways were silent save for the faint hum of the overhead lights, making the trek to his room awkward. They past by elderly candy people with walking canes and children in waiting rooms with runny noses. She would have never thought that Marshall would ever end up in a place like this.

His room was in a back corner of the hospital a bit away from everyone else, and she wondered if that was on purpose. Dr. Ice Cream opened the door and stepped back to let the two in. "A nurse is scheduled to drop by his room every so often for a check up. If you need anything or have questions, there's a button on the wall that will contact the office." And with that, the doctor closed the door.

Fionna and Cake glanced at each other nervously because nothing good ever came of hospitals, then turned to look at the unconscious Vampire King in the nearby bed. The blood had been cleaned off of his body, much to Fionna's relief. His shirt had been removed, and white bandages were wrapped tightly over his chest and neck.

Fionna was the first to approach him, stepping hesitantly beside his bed. Without the blood and gore covering his neck and clothes, he could have been sleeping. Cautiously, her hand reached out to brush against his cheek. Even if he did go crazy like the last time she touched his cheek while he slept, it would be okay, because that just meant he was alive and okay, and she wanted that more than anything.

But that never happened. There was no reaction from her touch.

"He doesn't look good, Fi," Cake stated, and it surprised the young human to hear the worry in the cat's voice.

Fionna's fingers drifted down to graze against his bare forearm. "Marshall," she whispered. "I'm so sorry." His skin was colder than usual from the blood loss, and she wanted to wrap her arms around him and hold him till warmth returned. Her gaze drifted over his unclothed torso, lingering on the muscles in his chest and arms, and suddenly, all she could think about was how her body would feel pressed against his. The heat of a blush rushed over her face at the thought. She had never seen him without a shirt before. Marshall didn't have the incredibly defined muscles of a body builder, but he was skinny without being scrawny and lean with subtle hints of an incredible strength.

Cake raised one eyebrow at her sister, a knowing smirk curving the corners of her lips. "What're YOU lookin' at?"

Fionna's blush deepened until she could have sworn her face was burning, and she quickly changed the subject. "Should we do something for him?"

"Like what? Buy him flowers and 'Get Well Soon' cards?" Cake rested her arms on the bars of his hospital bed. "I don't think he'd appreciate those, sis."

"Yeah…. Probably not."

Spotting the medical clipboard at the end of his bed, Cake quickly snatched it up and looked over the front page.

"Dude, put that back," Fionna said. "We can't snatch up medical records and stuff."

"It was out in plain view. They won't mind."

Fionna shot her a doubtful expression, but peered over to read the information as well.

ABADEER, MARSHALL LEE  
VAMPIRE W/ POSSIBLE DEMON BLOOD  
-Deep wounds on chest and neck area. Clean and change bandages every 5 hours as needed.  
-Approach with caution until patient is able to communicate fully and efficiently.  
-Diet consists of red liquids and solid objects in shades of red.

"Hehehe. Abadeer," Cake said, chuckling to herself. "Forgot he had that name."

Fionna pulled a chair from the corner of the room to his bedside and sat down, folding her arms to rest on the bed railing.

"Are you staying the rest of the night?" Cake asked.

"Yeah."

The calico cat hesitated as she thought it over. "Oh. Well… So am I." And with that, she grabbed her own chair and sat at the end of his bed.

It wasn't long before Cake was sound asleep, and the only interruptions were from the nurses that occasionally checked in. At first, the staff had suggested that Fionna retire home for the night. When that didn't work, they advised that Marshall may be unstable when he awoke. And when that didn't make her budge, they stopped speaking to her altogether.

Fionna traced her fingers along his arm, humming one of his band's more popular songs. Marshall loved music. Maybe hearing it would wake him…

In the dark hospital room when everyone else was asleep, Fionna sang softly and off-key, "My cursed blood is your cursed blood. Come on back and be my bud. I can count your visits on my fingertips." She carefully brushed a lock of hair out of his face, tucking it neatly behind his pointed ear. "Come back and give me presents from your business trips."

The sound of an opening door interrupted her song, and she jerked her hand away from his face. Expecting hospital staff, Fionna sighed, closing her eyes in frustration. It surprised her when a warm hand was placed on her shoulder. She lifted her head to see Prince Gumball looking down at her gently.

"You look tired, Fi," the prince said. His crown caught the faint light of the dresser lamp.

"I'm fine. Someone's gotta be here if he decides to wake up, you know?"

"We have hospital staff for that." Gumball crossed his arms over his chest, pausing as he considered his next words. "He's not going to die, you know."

"How do you know?"

"Because it's not that easy to kill a vampire, and Marshall Lee's not weak."

Fionna exhaled, feeling her heart sink further. "I don't know anything about vampires."

He sat in the last open chair in the room, crossing his legs and leaning back to look both casual and regal. With one hand lightly touching his cheek, he stared blankly at the unconscious Marshall. "Perhaps that's a good thing," he said, sounding thoughtful. "They're not very good creatures."

"Marshall Lee's good."

"Marshall Lee's a bit of an anomaly."

Big words. Depressed, she slouched forward and leaned her elbows on her knees. Her position was a direct pointed contrast to Gumball's always-perfect posture. Why did he always use those complicated phrases that she didn't understand?

"So what are you doing here so late?" Fionna asked.

"I got a call from a few concerned citizens about a vampire staying in the hospital. They thought it wasn't proper or safe and wanted him gone." Sardonically, he waved one hand in a circular motion. "They wanted me to 'do something about it'."

"Are you going to?"

"What type of ruler would I be if I didn't listen to my people?" He shot her a sly grin. "So I'm going to make sure Marshall Lee gets well enough to leave as soon as possible."

Fionna snorted a short laugh. "You're a really cool dude sometimes, PG."

"I do my best."

For the next two days, Fionna spent her free time in the hospital. Some of the staff- and Cake too- thought she was crazy. Why waste her time at the bedside of a vampire? Especially knowing that he may never wake up?

The answer was obvious, of course. Fionna was sincere and human, and she cared about others more than anyone else in the land of Aaa. Even in her teenage years, she'd never lost that child-like hope that things would turn out for the best if she fought hard enough. And if there was one thing Fionna could be called, it was a fighter. When given a goal, she would battle until her hands bled raw and her skin was bruised and maybe one or two of her bones were cracked; the one and only Heroine of Aaa.

It was on the third day since Marshall's injury that Fionna was called on an adventure with Cake. Some grass giant had been terrorizing the flower village, but it turned out to be more of an annoyance than a battle. The two easily chased the giant off with a few light punches. The biggest obstacle was dealing with the giant's complaints about the heroes "ruining his fun."

Tired from lack of sleep, Fionna returned to the hospital, lazily greeting the front desk secretary. She passed two middle-aged candy people that whispered conspiratorially, and she knew they were talking about her… or, more specifically, about Marshall Lee. With a roll of the eyes and an annoyed sigh, she continued down the hallway into Marshall's room.

"You really gotta get better soon, man," she muttered to Marshall's unconscious form. "I can't deal with all these sick turbo-jerks anymore." She bent over his face, carefully examining it for any signs of life. With one finger, she poked at the tip of his nose. "Get. Better. Now." When there was no response, she shrugged and plopped down into her chair.

A tap at the door startled her from her rest. Two teenage girls peered in the room cautiously. The first one, a blonde cookie person with a sideways ponytail, asked quietly, "Is this where Marshall Lee the Vampire King is staying?"

"Yeah," Fionna answered.

The second girl, a soft-spoken strawberry that sported a Marshall Lee and the Horror Kings t-shirt, stood on her tippy toes to see over the bed railing. "Do you think he would mind if we said hi?"

Dryly, Fionna glanced over at his motionless body. "I don't see any reason why he would."

The Horror Kings fan grinned from ear to ear and did a tiny hop in excitement. The blonde gave her a small push to go first, and the two stepped in beside his bed. "Oh, my glob, it's really him," the strawberry girl said. "I've been wanting to meet him since his first cd."

"She was always too afraid to say hi at his concerts," the blonde stated.

"Was not! Security always told me we weren't allowed backstage."

"Right, and that's why you hid when he glanced your way."

The strawberry pouted and glared at her friend.

"So, does he really drink red?" the blonde asked. "Like blood and stuff?"

Fionna, not really in the mood to deal with fan girls, quoted, "Only from lost little girls that ask too many questions."

The strawberry girl's eyes grew wide. "And does he eat strawberries?"

Fionna's lips twisted into a sly smile, and she suddenly knew why Marshall got a kick out of terrifying people. "Oh, yeah. Strawberries are his favorite."

The girl glanced nervously at her friend, who looked less than impressed. "I don't know what you're afraid of. He's not even conscious." To prove her point, she smacked his arm with the back of her hand.

The reaction happened immediately. With a sudden intake of breath, Marshall sat straight up in his bed, his solid black eyes wide open. He let out a chilling scream that made goosebumps travel along Fionna's arms. The two girls, suddenly under his hollow gaze, both stumbled back, and the blonde tripped over a nearby chair. His face was twisted into a more demonic shape than usual, his sharp teeth long and dangerous in the room. The blonde girl couldn't look away from his eyes, and she scooted back on the floor to get away.

"Marshall!" Fionna shouted, leaping onto the bed with him. Her hands wrapped around his upper arms to get his attention. His muscles were tense and shifted beneath her grip as though they wanted to morph into one of his other forms but had not decided which one yet. Fionna couldn't let that happen. These patients and nurses were already terrified of him. Who knew what they'd do if they saw one of his more extreme demon forms.

His attention was still focused on the teenage girls, and Fionna shouted, "Marshall! Look at me!" Those reflective demon eyes turned to her, and she could see her own pleading gaze within them. His fingers had grown into sharp claws that wrapped tightly around her own upper arms. A deep, low growl emitted from his chest, and it took everything Fionna had to not back away from him. "Marsh, it's me. It's Fionna." She trailed her fingers along his cheek.

It took three rapid heartbeats (she counted) for recognition to flicker in his expression. His panicked, rapid breaths slowed, and she watched as the black in his eyes shrank to its normal size. "Fionna?" he asked in a raspy voice.

She laughed in relief, feeling tears threaten to sting her eyes. "Yeah." And because he was alive and none of her nightmares had come true, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug. "You're okay," she said, smiling as a few tears trailed down her cheeks and onto his shoulder.

Now, Marshall Lee did not hug. He was a night creature, and that meant that signs of affection like hugging or tender caresses were generally looked down upon. Because of this, it surprised her when his arms encased her in a close embrace. She melted into his arms, amazed at how comfortable it felt to be there. His bare skin was cold against hers, and she wondered if her human body heat was comfortable to him. Did he crave it, or was it irritating?

All too soon, the hug was over, and Marshall clutched onto her arms once again. He stopped her before she could back entirely away, resting his forehead against her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

It was a long time before he answered with a soft, shaky, "Yes."

"Should I call the doctor?"

"Just… give me a moment, okay?"

He took a few deep, steady breaths, his grip on her arms rigid. Then, tense as though making a great effort, he sat straight up and glanced around the room. "I must have been really out of it cause there's no way I'd willingly come to the Candy Kingdom Hospital." Despite his hoarse voice, it sounded like the Marshall Lee she knew. "How long have I been out?"

"Three days. I carried you here cause I didn't know where else to go. There aren't exactly any vampire hospitals around." She tilted her head as she thought that over. "Well, none that I know of at least."

He blinked in surprise. "You carried me here?"

"Well, I couldn't just leave you alone in the forest. You'd do the same for me."

He stared at her for a moment before grinning gently. "You think I'd waste that much energy for a little mortal hero like you?"

"I do." She smiled back at him proudly. "You act all mean and junk, but I know inside, you're just a big soft marshmallow."

"A marshmallow," he repeated.

"Yep. Marshall the Marshmallow."

"You were more fun when you thought I was evil."

The door burst open, interrupting their conversation to reveal a very frazzled-looking Nurse Poundcake. Her wide, panicked eyes darted around the room in alarm before landing on the Vampire King.

Marshall raised one hand with a casual, "Yo."

Confused by the scene, she pointed to Marshall Lee, then to the hallway and back again. "Two teenage girls just ran out of the hospital screaming that you were awake and wreaking havoc."

With a shrug, he slid back in the bed to recline. "Nah, I'm cool."

"Oh." she scratched her head awkwardly, looking to Fionna for confirmation that everything was okay. When Fionna nodded, the nurse walked to Marshall's bedside. "How are you feeling? Dizzy, woozy, anything out of the ordinary?" From her pocket, she pulled out a medical light and shined it into his right eye.

With a hiss, Marshall jerked away from her and rubbed his eyeball. Alarmed by his reaction, she took a quick step back.

"That hurts, woman. Ask before you do that," he said, his lips curled over his fangs.

Her mouth tightened into a thin line. "It's simply procedure, Mr. Abadeer."

"I'm fine. If I feel weird, I'll call you." He dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

With her responsibilities as a nurse warring in her head, she hesitated, gnawing on the inside of her cheek in nervousness. Then self preservation won out, and the nurse stepped daintily out of the room.

Marshall closed his eyes and slid further down into his bed, draping his arm over his eyes to block out the light as he did so.

"Do you want me to go too?" Fionna asked.

"You can stay if you want. You're not bothering me."

She curled her legs onto the bed beside him. "How do you feel?"

"Hungry," he answered immediately. "Something to eat would be nice."

"Anything you want, Marshall. Strawberries or cherries? Apples?"

He grinned as though laughing at his own private joke. "Yeah, sure. Sounds great," he answered in a tone that sounded like the idea was anything but great.

Always the naïve hero, Fionna leapt up from the bed and made her way toward the door, excited over the opportunity to help him. "You got it. I'll be back with food before you know it, Marsh."

With Fionna gone, Marshall sat up in bed. The effort caused an empty, burning sensation to spread like hot coals in his chest. He folded forward, wrenching his eyes shut in agony. He felt… drained. Like he imagined creatures would feel when his mother took their souls. With trembling hands, he unwrapped the bandages from his upper torso. The sight of his mangled, mutilated chest was worse than he imagined. His normally gray skin was inflamed with nasty shades of blues and sore reds. He winced, his fingers tentatively touching the wound. His teeth gritted together to deal with the pain that immediately pulsed through his body.

That creature really had got the best of him. He'd lost a lot of blood, and because of that, his body craved the taste of it to heal itself. Marshall didn't like violence and instead preferred to live off of red even if it was a bit bland and not nearly as fulfilling. After living so long, he'd become a master at controlling whatever bloodlust vampirism included, but at that moment, he could hear every heartbeat and movement in the nearby rooms. Blood was life; it kept creatures on the living plane. Missing so much of it, Marshall's instincts were demanding that he go take it.

"Damn it," he muttered to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose and breathing steadily. He did not need to deal with this right now.

To further complicate matters, Fionna stepped into the room, carrying with her a silver bowl full of strawberries and cherries. Not wanting her to see his chest, Marshall turned over in his bed, throwing the blankets over his upper body.

"Hey, did you take off your bandages?" she asked. "I wanna see."

"No." His voice was muffled by the bed sheets.

She sat the bowl on his bedside table and shook his arm lightly. "Are you pouting? Come on, please." She pulled on his arm to turn him over

He hissed at her with pointed fangs and large, demonically white eyes. Not phased by his theatrics, she whined, "Marshall Leeeee."

If there was one thing Fionna was, it was persistent, and if there was one thing Marshall had a weakness for, it was requests from his closest friends. Especially bunny-eared friends. Reluctantly, he rolled over, revealing his deep injury.

Fionna's face dropped, her eyes widening. "Ow," she said with a wince. Then, crinkling her nose, added, "Ew."

"You asked."

"I regret it."

He glanced around the room and, not finding what he was searching for, asked, "Where's my shirt?"

"Sacrificed to the Battle of the Dark Forest." She retrieved a white v-neck from a nearby dresser and handed it to him. "One of the nurses left this for you though." Once he put it on, the white color made his skin look not quite as pale.

Fionna then presented him with a bowl of fruit, smiling proudly. "I got everything red I could find in the kitchen."

How about everything red in the hospital?

"Thanks, Fi," he said, eyeing the red fruits. He selected a strawberry and brought it to his lips. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine it was something else. His teeth cut through the skin of the fruit like flesh, and the color filled his mouth like liquid, but at the end of the day, it was just a shade, and he was left with a hollow craving in his chest.

He opened his eyes to see Fionna sitting in the bed with him, her arms wrapped around her bent knees. Suddenly self conscious, Marshall dragged his tongue along his red-tinted fangs and asked, "What?"

She smiled honestly with a shrug. "I'm just glad you're okay is all." Her grin faltered for a small moment. "I thought that creature had killed you."

His arm leaned against hers in an effort to cheer her up. "Hey, I haven't fought like that in ages. It was fun."

"You're rusty, man."

"I didn't see you doing any better."

He was right, Fionna thought. In the end, she was lucky she had a weapon…

The color drained from her face as a realization hit her. His axe bass. She'd left it in the woods after the fight.

Marshall Lee was going to kill her. His axe had been a family heirloom for who knew how many centuries. He valued that thing more than most peoples' lives. How could she have just abandoned it when he'd trusted her with such a valuable item?

Seeing her change in attitude, Marshall said, "You fought fine, hero. I'm just teasing."

Her mouth suddenly dry, Fionna forced a grin on her face. "Just wait till the next fight, Lee. I'm going to destroy you in terms of skill."

As she spoke, she resolved to retrieve his axe bass from the Dark Forest…

Even if it was the last thing she did…

Fionna went home soon after that to get some sleep. And she did need it. Her voice was cracking due to exhaustion and dark circles highlighted the skin around her eyes.

Left alone and not having the energy to walk or float out of the hospital quite yet, Marshall was bedridden and bored out of his wits. It was a little past midnight when all good little citizens were in bed, and he didn't even have his guitar to keep him amused.

When there was a knock at the door and Prince Gumball peeked his head into the room with a polite, "Can I come in?", Marshall can honestly say he'd never been happier to see the Candy Ruler.

At Marshall's nod, Gumball backed into the door and stepped in carrying a fancy embellished silver tray with two lidded mugs. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like I was stabbed two times in the chest and had my throat ripped out." He shot the prince a vicious smile. "Want to see?"

"Not particularly." Gumball daintily sat the tray on the bedside table and picked up the pink mug with a tiny gold crown on it. The mug was a joke gift from Lord Monochromicorn. Though he would never admit it, he treasured it as a symbol of their friendship. "I brought tea," he stated.

Marshall scowled in disgust. "I don't drink tea, Bubba. You know that."

The prince sipped at his own tea, eyeing the vampire as he did so. "Fionna was very worried about you."

"Fionna worries too much about people. She needs to watch out for herself."

"That's not who see is though," Gumball said, his voice gentle. "She had every right to be worried. I was concerned as well. You didn't look good, Marshall."

"Tch. It takes more than that to kill me."

"Yes, well, typically, two stabs into the chest of a vampire is enough to kill them."

With no retort to that statement, the Vampire King looked away.

"Fionna brought you red fruit, I see," Gumball said. There was a slyness to his expression as he added, "Perfect for a fruit bat, I suppose."

Marshall glared at his friend. "I'm not a bat."

"No. You're not." He steadied the bottom of his mug in the palm of his hand, looking regal as he did so. "You should really try your tea. I think you'd like it."

To satisfy the prince, Marshall attained the cup and opened the lid. The smell hit him like a right hook, and his eyes widened at Gumball in disbelief. "This is blood."

The Candy Prince didn't say anything, studying the vampire with his light purple eyes.

Marshall Lee blinked, staring at the cup as he got used to the idea. "Where did this come from?"

"Would it make you feel better if you didn't know?" Prince Gumball responded. "No one's dead or injured from it, if that's what you're asking."

Marshall's voice was toneless as he said, "You're not the saint you pretend to be."

"And you're not the monster you want others to think you are." His gaze landed blankly on the dresser. His next words were mechanical. "To be a good ruler, you must sometimes make sacrifices for the greater good for your subjects."

Marshall scowled, one lip curling over a very sharp tooth. "I'm not one of your candy subjects."

"No. But you're my friend."

"Blood's addictive, Bubba."

"I think I've known you long enough to trust you." Still sensing his hesitation, Gumball rolled his eyes and added, "Really, it's the same as a blood transfusion. Vampires operate differently than most creatures, and you lost a lot of blood that needs to be replaced." He waved one hand to the red fruit. "Colors aren't going to cut it if you're wanting to heal to full strength quickly. You know that." His eyes steadily met the vampire's black ones. "And you do need to be fully healed as soon as possible, don't you?"

The full gravity of those words caused Marshall Lee to grit his teeth together, and he swiftly looked away from the prince. A heavy silence weighed down on the room. Gumball stared at the wall in thought. He took another sip of his tea, and then, never facing the vampire, said, "It's why you're having your concert next week, isn't it? It's a farewell show. You're leaving for your world."

"Temporarily," Marshall responded immediately. "I have to if I want to keep my crown."

"I've read how Vampire Monarchy works. To become the ruler, someone must kill the ruling king or queen." He finally turned his gaze to Marshall Lee. "You killed the previous Vampire Queen."

"That was a long time ago," Marshall stated. "And it's a long story."

"The vampires will be looking to assassinate you."

"It happens every eight years, and they haven't succeeded yet." His eyes were striving for the light-hearted, teasing expression he typically wore, but failing to some extent. "I'm coming back." Even to his ears, it sounded doubtful.

Gumball took a deep breath, his gaze locked on an ugly wall painting. His next words came out of nowhere and were exhaled on a sigh. "I'm getting married."

And with those words, Marshall was yet again hit with a surprise. His eyebrows raising high to vanish under his black bangs. "You're what?"

"It's an arranged marriage to unite two kingdoms."

For a moment, the vampire didn't know what to say. And then, "Do you want to get married, Bubba?"

"I've never met her," he answered, shrugging. "Either way, it's not really about what I want. It's about what's best for the Candy Kingdom."

Looking doubtful, Marshall said, "I once got dragged into an arranged marriage. I can tell you how to get out of it if you want."

"That's quite all right. My responsibilities come first."

"Does Fionna know?"

"Not yet," he responded.

With a voice that was steady and a little sad, Marshall said, "You're going to break her heart."

Gumball shook his head slightly. "She's been over me for a while now. I don't think it'll matter to her that much."

There was a long moment of silence. In an attempt to lighten the mood, the vampire said, "So the Candy Prince is becoming the Candy King. About time."

Gumball smirked gently. "You better come back, Marshall Lee. I want you to be a guest at my wedding."

"Tch, don't invite me. I only crash weddings for the red velvet cake."

"I'll make sure we have some then." Gumball patted the vampire's arm and stood from his chair. "I need to get some rest, Marshall. Get well soon, my friend." After collecting his silver tray and pink coffee mug, Gumball left the Vampire King alone in the hospital room once again.

Marshall sat in silence for a long time after that, their conversation playing on repeat in his head as he stared blankly at his coffee mug full of blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many Fionna/Marshall Lee writers want to make Gumball out to be some horrible villain, but I love writing him as being a good guy. Especially his friendship with Marshall. The two are completely polar opposites, but somehow, their friendship works to me, and I wanted to show that in this chapter.
> 
> I've always thought Gumball and Princess Bubblegum had a very odd dark side to them, which I also like writing.
> 
> As always, please review! I love hearing your thoughts after spending so much time writing and editing.


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